Unraveling the event-type effect of CSR-linked (CSRL) sponsorship: perceived competence and warmth as mediating mechanisms

Purpose Which type of event should corporations sponsor to facilitate consumers’ product purchases through corporate social responsibility–linked (CSRL) sponsorship? Underpinned by stereotype content model, this study aims to unravel the mechanisms of the event-type effect of CSRL sponsorship on purchase intention toward sponsors’ products. Design/methodology/approach Using the experiment stimuli for the event type of CSRL sponsorship, the authors carried out an experiment (N = 500). This experiment used a single-factor (the event type of CSRL sponsorship: sport vs art) between-subject design with participants being randomly assigned to either condition. Findings The results verified that the sport (vs art) event in CSRL sponsorship provokes greater purchase intention toward sponsors’ products. This influence was positively mediated by both perceived competence and warmth. Originality/value These findings broaden prior research on CSRL sponsorship by confirming its event type’s effect on product purchase and discovering new underlying mechanisms of this effect. In addition, the findings provide useful implications for how to leverage and select diverse events in CSRL sponsorships.